diff --git a/include/dwarfs/detail/logging_class_factory.h b/include/dwarfs/detail/logging_class_factory.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ab065fab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/dwarfs/detail/logging_class_factory.h
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+/* vim:set ts=2 sw=2 sts=2 et: */
+/**
+ * \author     Marcus Holland-Moritz (github@mhxnet.de)
+ * \copyright  Copyright (c) Marcus Holland-Moritz
+ *
+ * This file is part of dwarfs.
+ *
+ * dwarfs is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * dwarfs is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with dwarfs.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <memory>
+#include <tuple>
+#include <type_traits>
+
+namespace dwarfs {
+
+class logger;
+
+namespace detail {
+
+template <class T>
+struct unique_ptr_policy {
+  using return_type = std::unique_ptr<T>;
+
+  template <class U, class... Args>
+  static return_type create(Args&&... args) {
+    return std::make_unique<U>(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+  }
+};
+
+template <class T>
+struct shared_ptr_policy {
+  using return_type = std::shared_ptr<T>;
+
+  template <class U, class... Args>
+  static return_type create(Args&&... args) {
+    return std::make_shared<U>(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+  }
+};
+
+class logging_class_factory {
+ public:
+  template <template <class> class T, class CreatePolicy,
+            class LoggerPolicyList, class... Args>
+  static typename CreatePolicy::return_type
+  create(logger& lgr, Args&&... args) {
+    return create_unwrap<T, CreatePolicy>(
+        lgr, std::type_identity<LoggerPolicyList>{},
+        std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+  }
+
+ private:
+  template <template <class> class T, class CreatePolicy,
+            class... LoggerPolicies, class... Args>
+  static typename CreatePolicy::return_type
+  create_unwrap(logger& lgr, std::type_identity<std::tuple<LoggerPolicies...>>,
+                Args&&... args) {
+    return create_impl<T, CreatePolicy, LoggerPolicies...>(
+        lgr, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+  }
+
+  template <template <class> class T, class CreatePolicy, class LoggerPolicy,
+            class... Rest, class... Args>
+  static typename CreatePolicy::return_type
+  create_impl(logger& lgr, Args&&... args) {
+    if (is_policy_name(lgr, LoggerPolicy::name())) {
+      return CreatePolicy::template create<T<LoggerPolicy>>(
+          lgr, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+    } else if constexpr (sizeof...(Rest) > 0) {
+      return create_impl<T, CreatePolicy, Rest...>(lgr,
+                                                   std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+    }
+    on_policy_not_found(lgr);
+  }
+
+  static bool is_policy_name(logger const& lgr, std::string_view name);
+  [[noreturn]] static void on_policy_not_found(logger const& lgr);
+};
+
+} // namespace detail
+} // namespace dwarfs
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/logger.h b/include/dwarfs/logger.h
index a135b1b8..c602e43c 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/logger.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/logger.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/chrono/thread_clock.hpp>
 
-#include <dwarfs/error.h>
+#include <dwarfs/detail/logging_class_factory.h>
 #include <dwarfs/util.h>
 
 namespace dwarfs {
@@ -65,26 +65,22 @@ class logger {
   virtual void write(level_type level, const std::string& output,
                      char const* file, int line) = 0;
 
-  const std::string& policy_name() const { return policy_name_; }
-
-  template <class Policy>
-  void set_policy() // TODO: construction time arg?
-  {
-    policy_name_ = Policy::name();
-  }
-
-  void set_policy_name(const std::string& name) // TODO: construction time arg?
-  {
-    policy_name_ = name;
-  }
+  std::string_view policy_name() const { return policy_name_; }
 
   static level_type parse_level(std::string_view level);
   static std::string_view level_name(level_type level);
 
   static std::string all_level_names();
 
+ protected:
+  template <class Policy>
+  void set_policy() // TODO: construction time arg?
+  {
+    policy_name_ = Policy::name();
+  }
+
  private:
-  std::string policy_name_; // TODO: const?
+  std::string_view policy_name_;
 };
 
 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, logger::level_type const& optval);
@@ -395,82 +391,30 @@ class log_proxy {
 
 class prod_logger_policy : public MinimumLogLevelPolicy<logger::VERBOSE> {
  public:
-  static std::string name() { return "prod"; }
+  static std::string_view name() { return "prod"; }
 };
 
 class debug_logger_policy : public MinimumLogLevelPolicy<logger::TRACE> {
  public:
-  static std::string name() { return "debug"; }
+  static std::string_view name() { return "debug"; }
 };
 
 using logger_policies = std::tuple<debug_logger_policy, prod_logger_policy>;
 
-template <class T>
-struct unique_ptr_policy {
-  using return_type = std::unique_ptr<T>;
-
-  template <class U, class... Args>
-  static return_type create(Args&&... args) {
-    return std::make_unique<U>(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
-  }
-};
-
-template <class T>
-struct shared_ptr_policy {
-  using return_type = std::shared_ptr<T>;
-
-  template <class U, class... Args>
-  static return_type create(Args&&... args) {
-    return std::make_shared<U>(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
-  }
-};
-
-template <template <class> class T, class CreatePolicy, class LoggerPolicyList,
-          size_t N>
-struct logging_class_factory {
-  template <class... Args>
-  static typename CreatePolicy::return_type
-  create(logger& lgr, Args&&... args) {
-    if (std::tuple_element<N - 1, LoggerPolicyList>::type::name() ==
-        lgr.policy_name()) {
-      using obj_type =
-          T<typename std::tuple_element<N - 1, LoggerPolicyList>::type>;
-      return CreatePolicy::template create<obj_type>(
-          lgr, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
-    }
-
-    return logging_class_factory<T, CreatePolicy, LoggerPolicyList,
-                                 N - 1>::create(lgr,
-                                                std::forward<Args>(args)...);
-  }
-};
-
-template <template <class> class T, class CreatePolicy, class LoggerPolicyList>
-struct logging_class_factory<T, CreatePolicy, LoggerPolicyList, 0> {
-  template <class... Args>
-  static typename CreatePolicy::return_type create(logger& lgr, Args&&...) {
-    DWARFS_THROW(runtime_error, "no such logger policy: " + lgr.policy_name());
-  }
-};
-
 template <class Base, template <class> class T, class LoggerPolicyList,
           class... Args>
 std::unique_ptr<Base> make_unique_logging_object(logger& lgr, Args&&... args) {
-  return logging_class_factory<
-      T, unique_ptr_policy<Base>, LoggerPolicyList,
-      std::tuple_size<LoggerPolicyList>::value>::create(lgr,
-                                                        std::forward<Args>(
-                                                            args)...);
+  return detail::logging_class_factory::create<
+      T, detail::unique_ptr_policy<Base>, LoggerPolicyList>(
+      lgr, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
 }
 
 template <class Base, template <class> class T, class LoggerPolicyList,
           class... Args>
 std::shared_ptr<Base> make_shared_logging_object(logger& lgr, Args&&... args) {
-  return logging_class_factory<
-      T, shared_ptr_policy<Base>, LoggerPolicyList,
-      std::tuple_size<LoggerPolicyList>::value>::create(lgr,
-                                                        std::forward<Args>(
-                                                            args)...);
+  return detail::logging_class_factory::create<
+      T, detail::shared_ptr_policy<Base>, LoggerPolicyList>(
+      lgr, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
 }
 
 std::string get_logger_context(char const* path, int line);
diff --git a/src/logger.cpp b/src/logger.cpp
index 18f1dd89..6b536587 100644
--- a/src/logger.cpp
+++ b/src/logger.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include <fmt/chrono.h>
 #include <fmt/format.h>
 
+#include <dwarfs/error.h>
 #include <dwarfs/logger.h>
 #include <dwarfs/string.h>
 #include <dwarfs/terminal_ansi.h>
@@ -291,6 +292,20 @@ void stream_logger::set_threshold(level_type threshold) {
   }
 }
 
+namespace detail {
+
+bool logging_class_factory::is_policy_name(logger const& lgr,
+                                           std::string_view name) {
+  return lgr.policy_name() == name;
+}
+
+void logging_class_factory::on_policy_not_found(logger const& lgr) {
+  DWARFS_THROW(runtime_error,
+               fmt::format("no such logger policy: {}", lgr.policy_name()));
+}
+
+} // namespace detail
+
 std::string get_logger_context(char const* path, int line) {
   return fmt::format("[{0}:{1}] ", basename(path), line);
 }